Congress and Special Counsel Robert Mueller have been trying every way they can think of to pressure Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn into flipping on Trump in the Trump-Russia scandal, with no luck. Flynn seems to have either decided that he wants to spitefully go down with the ship, or that Trump is going to come through with a pardon for him. But now investigators have finally figured out how to push Flynn to his breaking point.

Michael T. Flynn’s weakness is that he dragged his son Michael A. Flynn (commonly mis-referred to as “Michael Flynn Jr”) into the Trump-Russia scandal by involving him in the activities of the Flynn Intel Group. This has opened the door for investigators to target the younger Flynn as a witness, and a potential conspirator, in the investigation. The Senate Intelligence Committee had requested that he testify and turn over documents, but he’s refused. So he’s getting subpoenaed – and now his father has some immediate tough decisions to make.

It hasn’t been stated precisely when the Senate Intel Committee will issue the subpoena to Michael A. Flynn, only that it’s now likely to happen (link). But the committee in question has tended not to mess around when it’s being openly defied in this manner, so we should see the subpoena imminently, and it should include a rather short deadline for compliance. If the younger Flynn blows through the deadline, he can be arrested for contempt of Congress.

Now comes the hard part for Michael Flynn. Even if he’s willing to rot in prison, is he willing to let his son do the same? Even if he’s willing to bank on Donald Trump pardoning him, and that pardon holding up in court, is he willing to trust his son’s fate to an iffy pardon? Flynn can only assure his son a free pass by flipping on Donald Trump – and it’s a decision he’s about to have to make.